Dear Rail Supporter,

As reported earlier, we handed our petition with over 10,000 signatures to Hon.Adam Marshall, MP on 23rd of October(see picture).  He delivered it to the clerk of NSW Legislative Assembly on 23rd November, 2023.  Most likely, it is to be debated in February 2024 when the parliament resumes.  In the meantime, Tfrains North Inc committee plans to contact MPs and Ministers to educate them further on the background and rationale for the request made in the petition to restore passenger train servic es between Armidale and Jennings/Wallangarra near the Qld border.

Trains North members attended the Margarita and Taco festival in Glen Innes Railway station recently.  It was an excellent festival where residents from Glen and Surrounding areas came in rows to enjoy food,music and company of each other.  We handed out flyers outside the venue where we received positive feedback from 98% of the people.  It was encouraging.

We are glad to see that the Trains North Glen Innes group currently headed b y Steve Pears is making progress with fortnightly meetings at the RSL Club(tonight is at 6.00pm) with an open invitation to residents of Glen Innes and surrounding areas.  Steve wrote a well crafted letter to the Mayor,GISC recently and in the November meeting of the council, his request for support was discussed.  Two council officers had prepared a report and 3 recommendations for council's consideration.  They did not consider the possibility of reinstating train services north of Armidale as a viable option due to reasons such as the lack of NSW government interest in doing so, potential cost of rebuilding the line, and most importantly the fact that if the council supported our request, it has to forego the millions of $S already received for the rail trail.  The report also recommends the improvements to New England and Gwyder highway as an alternative to restoring the rail line.  This position based not on facts b ut unfounded assumptions was devastating to the members of Trains North.  A local council that should be advocating on behalof of its residents needs is adopting a highly negative and dismissive attitudeto the community request for restoring rail services that can actually be a ground breaking initiative. Look at the recent opening of Tanmworth Intermodel terminal for freight.  In any case, when the vote was called there was a 3-3 split among the councillors(one was away).  Mayor had to cast his casting vote to get an outcome in favour of rail trail, road improvements etc. instead of reinstating the northern rail line.

We in Trains North are not deterred by such resolutions.  The history of two councils in New England that are advocating a bike rail in the rail corridor is litterd with resolutions to support it and ignoring community requests -individual and formal - to look at the merits of restoring the rail line for long term benefits to the region including better cross border connectivity.  As the population of SE Qld is to grow by another 1.3 million by 2036 and many infrastructure projects are being developoed in anticipation of Olympics games, we in New England have to open our eyes and develop plans to capitalise on such developments.  Otehrwise we will be in the same place in another 20 or 30 years time.  Our population has been stagnent over the decades.

We hope that in time to come a majority of Glen Innes Councillors will turn to our side and start to support our cause!  In the meantime, we highly value the vote by Councillors Tim Alt, Jack Perry, and Andrew Parsons against the 3 recommendations made by council staff essentially rejecting our plea for support.  It is pleasing to see that some councillors appreciate the arguments put forward by us about the future use of northern rail corridor.